Despite the order earlier this month by Chief U.S. District Judge James Ware to release the videos from the Proposition 8 trial in former Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker’s courtroom in San Francisco, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered a stay of this order, keeping the videos under wraps while the higher court decides the proponents’ appeal of the videos’ release.

In other words, this sideshow over releasing the videos, based on the fear of the bigots’ attorneys and witnesses that their arguments will be exposed to the light of day, making them look like the foolish bigots they are, continues.

This is a fairly astounding happening as Liu was first nominated to the 9th in February of 2010, but the nomination died at the end of the 2010 session from lack of even an attempt to call for a floor vote. President Obama promptly renominated Liu, and he was again promptly reported out of the Judiciary Committee on a straight party line vote, but it appeared as if the nomination would be again be left to die a quiet death. Apparently not.

ACLU’s Ben Wizner: “This is a sad day not only for the torture victims whose attempt to seek justice has been extinguished, but for all Americans who care about the rule of law and our nation’s reputation in the world.”

In the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Reinhardt found the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) clearly unconstitutional and, because it discriminates against protected classes. Judge Kozinski entered another Order this week further blistering the Obama Administration and all but instructing Karen Golinski to sue the federal government for benefits denied her family.

It seems scandalous that these cases were necessary, since the Obama Administration ran hard on relief to the GLBT community and protection and equal protection of their rights; why are they hiding behind the DOMA they once scorned?